Protecting Your Home From Legionella And Other Water-Borne Dieases

In the UK, the number of reported Legionella and Legionnaires’ disease cases each year reaches up to hundreds. In the United States, reported annual cases ranges 8,000 to 18,000. However, some health specialists and researchers suspect that close to a hundred thousand Legionella cases would be a more precise estimation.

For those not familiar with Legionella, this is a pathogenic group of bacteria that includes L. pneumophila, which causes Legionellosis and all other illnesses caused by Legionella, including a fatal variation of pneumonia which is called Legionnaires disease.

The Legionella bacteria thrive and breed in lukewarm water and the various apparatuses where these tepid water passes through. These include fixtures such as shower heads, taps, hot tubs, large plumbing systems, fountains, and hot water tanks. And of course, these features are always present and used in almost all households.

A person can acquire the Legionnaires’ disease if he or she accidentally or even intentionally inhales mist or vapour that contains the bacteria or worse, swallows the bacteria-filled water from the shower or bath tub.

The good news is that this disease is not easily transmitted. But unfortunately, older people, particularly those with weak respiratory and immune systems, are more susceptible to this disease since they regularly use hot water in bathing or frequently take steam baths to clear their nasal passages and for other homeopathic reasons. And since most of the elderly also have weaker immune systems, this disease will be more harmful and deadlier for them.

There are many simple ways to prevent Legionella bacteria from growing and spreading in your household’s water and/or plumbing system. To begin with, make sure that you regularly and properly check and maintain your plumbing system and bath fixtures. When cleaning, use highly recommended cleaning products such as chlorine which scours and sterilizes all the plumbing and bath fixtures at the same time and certainly kills the legionella bacteria. Lastly, always keep water in your household always at the right temperature and regularly treat it with chemicals to get rid of these particular bacteria.

And as always, prevention is worth an ounce of cure so testing your system regularly for the existence of the bacteria is vital. And for this task, you can use a basic legionella testing kit. This kit can be easily and conveniently bought online and delivered to your home. The kit includes instructions on how you can test for Legionella in your household water system, the bathroom, outdoor saunas, and other places in your home.

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